Produce shipping container

Abstract

A container having walls, one having a projection including a hook and an exterior surface opposite the hook having an external contact location, the hook extending away from the contact surface, the contact location disposed interiorly of the hook. The container includes a door, and a latch coupled to the door by a spring. The latch comprises a catch and a binding arm, and has a contact surface positioned to fit the projection between the catch and contact surface. The latch has a locked position in which the catch and hook maintain the door in the closed position, and an unlocked position in which the door is movable. The spring biases the latch into the locked position. Sufficient pressure on the latch overcomes the biasing to achieve the unlocked position, to allow the open position to be attained. When in the locked position, the contact surface faces the contact location.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A produce container having an interior for maintaining produce, comprising:
 A) a base, two endwalls and two sidewalls, each of the endwalls and sidewalls being coupled to the base, at least one of the sidewalls having a first projection and a second projection, each projection extending transverse to an exterior surface of the at least one sidewall or endwall, each projection comprising
 i) a hook and 
 ii) an external surface opposite the hook including an external contact location having a tangent that is transverse to the wall, the hook extending in a direction away from the contact location, the contact location being disposed interiorly of the hook; 
 
 B) a door movably coupled to the sidewall or endwall, the door movable from a closed position to an open position; 
 C) a latch coupled to the door by at least one spring at an end of the door, the latch comprising
 a) a first clasp and a second clasp, each comprising
 i) a catch and 
 ii) a binding arm connected to the catch and having a contact surface, for each clasp, the catch being separated from the contact surface by a distance so that a corresponding one the first projection and second projection fits between the catch and the contact surface when the door is in a closed position, the first clasp and the second clasp being separated from another along the end, 
 
 b) an actuation bar extending between the first clasp and the second clasp, and 
 c) a bridge extending between the first clasp and the second clasp, and separated from the actuation bar, 
 
 the latch having a locked position in which the catches interface with their corresponding hooks to maintain the door in the closed position and prevent the external motion, and an unlocked position in which the door is externally movable from the closed position to the open position, 
 the at least one spring biasing the latch into the locked position, and configured such that sufficient pressure on the actuation bar overcomes the biasing to move the catches to an unlocked position in which the catches do not interface with the corresponding hooks, thereby allowing the door to externally rotate to attain the open position, 
 when the latch is in the locked position, each of the contact surfaces facing its corresponding contact location. 
 
     
     
       2. The container of  claim 1 , wherein each of the endwalls and sidewalls is coupled to the base by at least one hinge. 
     
     
       3. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the access door is coupled to a sidewall. 
     
     
       4. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the hooks extend downward. 
     
     
       5. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the access door is coupled to the at least one of the endwalls and the sidewalls by at least one hinge, whereby the door is moved between the closed position and the open position by external rotation. 
     
     
       6. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the hinges are connected to a bottom end of the access door. 
     
     
       7. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the contact locations are substantially perpendicular to the at least one of the sidewalls and the endwalls. 
     
     
       8. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation bar and the bridge are separated from one another by about 2 mm to 2 cm. 
     
     
       9. The container of  claim 1 , in a combination with a plurality of other containers to form an arrangement on a pallet. 
     
     
       10. The container of  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement is a multilayer 6-down arrangement. 
     
     
       11. A produce container having an interior for maintaining produce, comprising:
 A) a base, two endwalls and two sidewalls that are each coupled to the base, at least one of the endwalls and sidewalls having a projection extending transverse to an exterior surface of the at least one of the endwalls and sidewalls, the projection comprising
 i) a hook extending from a surface thereof and 
 ii) an exterior surface opposite the hook including an external contact location having a tangent that is transverse to the at least one of the endwalls and sidewalls, the hook extending in a direction away from the contact surface, the contact location being disposed interiorly of the hook; 
 
 B) a door movably coupled to the at least one of the sidewalls or endwalls, the door movable from a closed position to an open position; 
 C) a latch, coupled to the door by a spring, the latch comprising
 i) a catch and 
 ii) a binding arm connected to the catch and having a contact surface, the contact surface separated from the catch by a distance such that the projection fits between the catch and the contact surface when the door is in the closed position, 
 
 the latch having a locked position in which the catch interfaces with the hook to maintain the door in the closed position, and an unlocked position in which the door is movable from the closed position to the open position, 
 the spring biasing the latch into the locked position when the door is in the closed position, and sufficient pressure on the latch overcoming the biasing to move the catch to an unlocked position in which it does not interface with the hook, thereby allowing the door to attain the open position, 
 when the latch is in the locked position, the contact surface facing the contact location.